


Children

by SoDoRoses (FairyChess)



Series: LAOFT Extras [22]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Animal Death, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Angst, Dismemberment, Gen, Harm to Children, Heed. The. Tags. Please I Beg, Mercy Killing, Murder, Spiders, Villain Deceit Sanders, Virgil and Durant Are Not Human and it SHOWS, animal cruelty, but HOO BOY is THAT a toxic family my friend, death of children, ends with virgil being lets say 17-18 and durant 15-16, snake bites, the main focus is 'brotherly' Virgil & Deceit, the mercy killing is an animal not a human, this start with virgil approximately 14 and durant 12, weird immortal aging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 11:28:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19393195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyChess/pseuds/SoDoRoses
Summary: Once, Virgil was lonely, and then he wasn’t.It didn’t last long.Part of theLove and Other Fairytales Verse





	Children

**Author's Note:**

> this prompt from an anon on tumblr:
> 
> "Hey can we get more on Virgil and his Durant’s relationship? What was it like when they were kids? (As excuse for Virgil angst maybe?)"
> 
> and this one, from another anon:
> 
> "“Was was virgil and fae Dee’s (I forgot his name asdfgklaja) relationship like before Virgil meet his sister? Can we have more on their dynamic?"
> 
> Durant's venom is based loosely on [ Type B Timber Rattlesnake Venom ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timber_rattlesnake#Venom)

Virgil didn’t really get along with anybody else in the forest.

The thing was, there were a lot of fae in the forest who were older than him. None so old as Mother, who had been here since before there was a forest at all, but certainly much older than he was.

So a lot of them didn’t really take to the fact that, instead of someone who’d been around for a while longer, Virgil had woken up in a hollow witch hazel tree knowing very well he was a prince and the Lord Of The Forest and told them so the moment he’d come across some of them.

One particular fae had laughed, and called Virgil a presumptuous brat, and then he’d been dead. Virgil wasn’t really sure if it had been him or Mother who’d made the shadow beneath the fae’s feet swallow him whole and then spit him back out as a pile of frost-bitten limbs, but regardless, it seemed to do the job of convincing them.

But it hadn’t exactly endeared him to the power-hungry Unseelie, or made the Spring and Summer courts very keen to be friendly. So Virgil spoke to Mother, inasmuch as she could speak, and not really anyone else. That was fine, for a while, but gradually it started to make Virgil feel sort of – bored, maybe, but bored in a way that stung much worse than normal tedium.

Virgil was trying a new pattern for his web, pointedly ignoring said mood, when Mother moved around him, the shadows reaching out with a sort detached curiosity.

_Sorrow_.

_Not really_ , Virgil thought back.

A shadow pressed a little closer.

_Wanting._

That gave Virgil pause. Maybe… yes. It was more discontent than boredom. He _did_ want something.

_What?_

_I don’t know_ , replied Virgil, _I have food, and my web is almost finished. I’m not tired. I have everything I need, Mother._

_Not need. Want. What?_

Virgil thought about it for a long time. Mother receded, and Virgil figured he’d had her attention about as long as she could manage. He kept turning the question over and over in his mind.

He thought… maybe he wanted to talk to someone. But if he wanted to talk, surely he could just talk to Mother? A little silly, to speak out loud when she could hear him just fine silently, but there was nothing stopping him.

Virgil wrinkled his nose in frustration.

_Lonely._

Virgil startled. He hadn’t thought she’d still been listening.

Lonely. Yes. That made the most sense.

_No more._

Virgil shrugged absently, and tried speaking aloud.

“I’ll probably get over it eventually,” he said, “What are you going to do anyway? You can’t make someone be my friend, I don’t think that’s how it works,”

_No more. Sleep now._

Virgil shrugged once more, rolling over in the web.

“Whatever you say,” he said.

Yeah. Out loud didn’t really make much of a difference.

* * *

Virgil woke up to muffled shouting and a very repetitive thumping noise.

Screwing up his face in distaste, he turned his head toward the sound, tilting it in confusion when he saw nothing.

The thumping continued, and the muffled complaining, and Virgil realized it… seemed to be coming from… inside his tree?

Virgil took a moment to process that, and then darted across the clearing and climbed up the tree, looking down into the hollow.

Scowling, his arms crossed, and glaring up at Virgil with bright yellow eyes and patches of scales scattered across his face and arms, was a fae boy who looked a little younger than Virgil, though not quite as young as Virgil had been when _he’d_ come out of the tree. The boy huffed.

“Let me _out!_ ” he demanded.

Virgil cocked his head.

“Just climb out,” he said.

“You don’t think I _tried that_ you great big moron?”

Virgil scowled back.

“Well, who are you? Why are you in my tree?”

“It’s _our_ tree,” he snapped, “And I’m your brother. You’re Virgil, right?”

Virgil reared back.

“ **Who told you that?** ”

“ _Ow,_ you- you loudmouth!” he snapped, rubbing his ears gingerly, “No one told me, I woke up knowing it. ‘You’re Virgil’s brother’ and my name. And since you said the tree’s _yours…_ ”

He held his hands out, gesturing to the wood.

“It’s not that complicated,”

Virgil narrowed his eyes.

‘ _No more,’_ she’d said.

Well. Okay – Mother had decided to give him a brother. Virgil could work with that.

“What kind of spider can’t climb?” said Virgil.

“What kind of spider has _scales_ , idiot?” sneered the other fae, “I’m not a spider, I’m a snake,”

“Oh,” said Virgil, “Okay, I guess that’s why you suck at climbing,”

The other- his _brother’s_ face screwed up in frustration.

“Would you just get me out of this _stupid tree!_ ”

“Yeah, yeah, calm down,”aid Virgil, reaching in and holding out a hand. His brother scowled at it, but grabbed it anyway so Virgil could pull him up and out.

When he was out, Virgil just picked him up completely to climb back down the tree, ignoring his sputtering. Finally, Virgil set him on his feet.

“So,” said Virgil, who suddenly felt just a little nervous. “What, um- what do you want to do?”

His brother rolled his eyes.

“I’m an hour old,” he said dryly, “I don’t have a lot of worldly experience. You tell me,”

“Oh,” said Virgil, “Uh, yeah. I guess just-”

He reached out and grabbed his brother’s hand, pulling him forward.

“Can snakes swim? There a pond this way,”

“So you’re already trying to drown me?” his brother said, but he fell in step beside Virgil anyway.

“I’ll teach you, if you want,” blurted Virgil.

His brother narrowed his eyes, but eventually he nodded.

“Alright,” he said, “Why not?”

Virgil smiled a little, and could have sworn the corners of his brother’s mouth twitched as well.

* * *

“Adder! Where did you go, you flighty snake!”

Virgil huffed in frustration, just barely resisting the urge to stomp his feet.

“Adder!”

“What are you shrieking about?”

Virgil turned, crossing his arms.

“Don’t wander off,” he muttered.

“You were smaller than me when you woke up in the tree, and nobody thought _you_ needed looking after,”

“I had Mother,”

Adder rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Mother, the shadows of the forest, I know, I know,”

Virgil sighed, exasperated.

“Where did you even go?”

Adder shrugged.

“Chased after a rabbit,” he said, “Not all of us wait for the food to come to us,”

“Oh,” said Virgil, a little confused, “I didn’t- I didn’t think you were gone that long. Usually takes you longer to eat than that,”

“I changed my mind,” said Adder, “You can have it, if you want,”

Virgil froze.

“What do you mean I can have it?” said Virgil.

Adder waved his hand dismissively.

“It’s over there somewhere,” he said. His face turned considering, “Although I guess we don’t know if we’re venomous to each other, so maybe you shouldn’t eat it,”

“You _bit_ it, and then _didn’t eat it_?” said Virgil, aghast.

“I told you I changed my mind,” said Adder. He seemed genuinely confused.

Virgil hurried after where Adder had indicated, following his prints until he came across the rabbit, stumbling around and clearly already delirious. It was starting to bleed from it’s nose; it didn’t even have the strength to try and run.

Wincing, Virgil grabbed the rabbit and quickly snapped it’s neck. He held the limp body in his hand.

“I mean, if you _really_ wanted to test if our venom works on each other, I could have just bit you,” said Adder. He still sounded absolutely baffled, and Virgil’s stomach twisted as he turned back to his brother.

“No reason to go after the rabbit, I mean,” he said.

Virgil stared at him.

“What?” he said.

“I-” Virgil glanced down at the rabbit.

“ _What?_ ” demanded Adder.

“Just- just don’t do this again, alright?” said Virgil, his heart hammering in his throat, “Don’t- don’t leave it after you’ve bitten it, just kill it,”

Adder looked at him like Virgil had grown extra limbs to match the web.

“It’ll die either way, what difference does it make?”

“Just _don’t,_ Adder!” Virgil snapped.

Adder reared back.

“…Fine,” he said, “Whatever, I won’t,”

Virgil sighed in relief, laying the rabbit in the dirt and continuing back in the direction of home.

After several minutes of silence, Adder spoke.

“You’re very strange,” he said, “As Unseelie go,”

Virgil didn’t respond, and Adder didn’t seem to think he needed to. It was a good thing, because Virgil had no idea what he might say.

* * *

“What were you even _thinking?_ ” Virgil snarled.

“They had milk, right out in their camp!” Adder snapped back, flinching away from the Seelie’s hands on his face and snapping his teeth at her. Virgil, who had a hand around Adder’s upper arm, shook him and glared.

“Don’t snap at her, you _ass,_ she’s the reason you still have that _eye_ ,”

It was true – Adder had taken a swipe of cursed metal to his face, and he was _lucky_ that’s all he’d taken. Those men had plenty of the stuff, knives and heavy tools and enough of those little cannons with the explosive powder that made Virgil’s nose itch to make any _ten_ fae look twice.

“They were minding their own business, and you _attacked them_ for _no reason_ ,”

“They were practically _baiting me_ ,” exclaimed Adder, “Who do they think they are? This is _our_ forest, not _theirs_ ,”

“ _They live here, too!”_ said Virgil, “What, do you think they should all up and relocate?”

“They should have some _respect-”_

“They weren’t _doing anything_ ,”

“What does it matter! They’re just _mortals_ anyway, what do you care if I kill a few of them?”

“How do I have to explain this to you?” said Virgil incredulously.

“Just because _you’ve_ got the softest heart this side of the seasons doesn’t mean all of us are so _sentimental_ ,”

“ **This isn’t sentiment** , _”_ snarled Virgil, and Adder finally shut up. Virgil took a deep breath.

“This isn’t sentiment,” he said coldly, “This is me telling you that you are _out of line_. Control yourself, or _I_ will do it _for you._ Do you understand?”

The Seelie woman shuddered. Adder scowled petulantly and didn’t look at either of them.

“ _Do you **understand**?_”

“ _Perfectly_ ,” Adder spat.

Virgil really should have realized that wouldn’t be the end of it.

* * *

The pixie who approached him had actually startled Virgil, in a way not many people could. It hadn’t been that he didn’t realize she was there, but that he hadn’t expected her to actually try and talk to him.

When he finally realized that she hadn’t moved, closer or away, with her head bowed low and shaking like a spring bud in a storm, he realized she was waiting for him to acknowledge her.

“What?” he said brusquely.

She darted forward, conjuring some kind of folded black garment from thin air and placing it between them before quickly retreating.

“My house asks forgiveness for our slight against the ruler of the forest,” she said quietly.

“A slight?” said Virgil incredulously.

The pixie looked near tears, and Virgil shuffled awkwardly. He was used to fae being afraid of him, but distressed Seelie were always… weirdly upsetting to him.

“We do not know what it was she did,” she said, “But whatever my sister had done, we hope that this is enough,”

“I don’t know anything about your sister,” Virgil said shortly, “Stop assuming what I know. Why are you here?”

The pixie looked up, wide-eyed and confused.

“I- I don’t-”

“Maybe you should bring her to explain?” he prompted.

“She’s _dead_ ,” blurted the pixie, “Didn’t- didn’t you kill her?”

Virgil’s eyebrows shot up.

“I don’t even know who your sister is,” said Virgil, “I certainly didn’t kill her. Why on earth do you think I did?”

The pixie looked bewildered and with a stunned expression she pulled another, smaller piece of fabric out of the air as she spoke.

“She’d- been bitten,” she said quietly, “And… there was this, so we thought-”

Virgil took the square of cloth, and looked down at the pattern sen into it.

His pattern. His crest.

“I didn’t kill your sister,” he repeated, but this time his voice was deadly cold and the pixie flitted backward several feet, shivering, “But I will see to it the one who did is punished,”

Virgil stooped to pick up the fabric.

“Keep this,” he said, a little quieter.

“Yes, your highness,” she said, darting forward to take it, and Virgil didn’t have time to tell her that was _really_ unnecessary before she’d already popped out of sight.

Virgil took a steadying breath. Time to find his brother.

* * *

Unfortunately, he found his brother doing _exactly_ what Virgil told him not to.

There wasn’t anything Virgil could do – healed them, maybe, if they weren’t quite dead, or brought one or two back, if he’d made it in time. But not all of them, and not when they’d gone cold and stiff.

Adder was in the process of cursing any object he could pick up (no doubt meaning to get whoever came to clean up this family’s bodies) and seemed occupied enough by this that he didn’t notice Virgil standing in the doorway for several minutes.

He turned, startling.

“You disobeyed me,” Virgil said.

“Don’t know what you mean,” said Adder.

“I told you-”

“-To control myself, yes,” Adder said dryly, “And I promise, I was fully in control of myself the whole time,”

“You insolent little-”

“I really don’t understand why you’re getting _so_ worked up over a few humans, especially one who had it coming-”

“Oh, you think he had it coming?” said Virgil, “And his children? Who never saw you before today? Did they have it coming as well?”

Adder shrugged.

“Their children die before they reach adulthood half the time anyway, what difference does it make?”

“If nothing else, the difference is **me** ,” growled Virgil. Adder rolled his eyes.

“Whatever. As long as none of them are _obnoxious_ again-”

“No,” said Virgil, “No more free reign,”

Adder scoffed.

“I’d hardly call this _free reign_ , you’re a tyrant through and through, Virgil,”

“You want tyrannical? _**Fine,**_ **”**

Adder remained unconcerned just up until the moment Virgil had his hand around his brother’s neck.

“ **As long as I rule this forest,** ” intoned Virgil, “ **You will kill** _ **no** **one**_ **without my** _ **direct permission**_ **,** ”

“Or _what?_ ” said Adder, and his casual smile couldn’t quite hide the panic in his eyes.

“For your sake, I really hope you never find out,” spat Virgil.

He dropped his brother to the floor, turned on his heel, and left.

Only when he was deep in the woods, well away from any eyes or ears, did Virgil finally let the few insistent tears slip over his face.

* * *

Virgil didn’t know what he’d expected.

Maybe that Adder was just going through some… strange phase, that if Virgil really put his foot down Adder’d grumble for a few decades and get over it. Maybe that he’d think it over a bit and _actually_ regret it, realize he was being horrible and stop, maybe even try to make up for it.

That isn’t what happened.

What happened, was that Virgil woke up in the middle of the night to sharp teeth and a burst of cold fire at his wrist.

He threw Adder off of him, but Adder didn’t seem bothered. He was watching Virgil with a patient expression, like he was waiting for something.

His breath heavy, Virgil looked down at his wrist, which slowly healed over as the burn receded.

“Huh,” said Adder faintly, “I guess we _aren’t_ venomous to each other,”

“You tried to kill me,” said Virgil faintly.

“Only because you deserved it,” said Adder, prim and like he hadn’t just tried to _murder his brother in his sleep_.

Virgil looked at his wrist a little longer, something uncomfortably hot having take up residence in the hollow of his chest and just behind his eyes.

“Go,” said Virgil, voice quiet.

“Go where, exactly?” said Adder dryly.

“ **I don’t fucking care** ,” spat Virgil. Adder shrugged.

“You snore anyway,” he said nonchalantly. And then he stood, and he left, and he didn’t come back. He didn’t apologize. He didn’t seem even slightly concerned.

Virgil continued to look at the smooth, unblemished expanse of his wrist, which bore no sign of the wound. Virgil swallowed, his throat clicking.

The shadows pulled toward him.

_Sorrow. Why?_

_I’m alone again_ , returned Virgil.

Some confusion. Prodding.

_Brother. Not alone_.

“Yeah, well, he’s a pretty terrible one, _alright_?” Virgil snapped.

The shadow recoiled.

Virgil’s eyes widened. He’d never snapped at Mother before.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

_I just thought…_ he trailed off, even in his head.

Mother waited patiently, more focused than she normally was.

_What?_ She prompted.

_That he’d be like me,_ Virgil thought weakly, _That we could be… like a set. But we’re not._

Mother didn’t reply, except to continue that thread of confusion.

_Was it something I did?_ Thought Virgil, not even sure if he was asking her or himself.

Mother didn’t reply again, instead switching tracks entirely.

_No brothers. Very well._

Virgil looked down, alarmed, reaching for the shadow, but she’d retreated before he could quite get his fingers in it. His head was silent and his own.

He couldn’t help the slight uptick in his heart-rate.

Virgil didn’t know if he’d be sad, or even upset at all, if he woke up tomorrow morning and found that Adder was just… gone, that Mother had taken him back into the tree or the shadows as a failed attempt. He didn’t know if she _could_ do that, or what she’d meant by her statement at all.

But he knew he wouldn’t be _happy_.

Well… it wasn’t like he could control her.

Virgil curled up in the web, feeling as small as he had in years.

As he slipped off into dreams, he could have sworn he heard the very faintest strains of whispers.

* * *

_Wake up!_

_Wake up, say hello!_

_He sleeps, he sleeps, he sleeps away the morning-_

_-Silly brother, why so tired?_

Groaning at the strange overlapping voices, Virgil blinked himself awake.

The eight eyes staring at him from their owners place perched on his nose, stared right back.

Virgil gaped.

“…hello?” he said, voice rough with sleep.

_Hello!_ Said the spider, spinning. Her legs tickled Virgil’s nose.

Slowly Virgil reached up and coaxed her onto his finger. He sat up and glanced around him.

There were hundreds, if not thousands of them, and Virgil wondered if he was having some kind of delayed hallucination, brought on by his brother’s venom.

They tripped over themselves to touch him, each of their voice sparkling into his mind when they did, fumbling excitedly to greet him.

_Hello, hello!_

_Silly brother, sleeps the day away-_

_What a lazy-head-_

“Brother-?” said Virgil faintly. He was still not quite awake.

A shadow reached forward, and Virgil tangled his fingers into it. Mother seemed…

_… smug_?

_Sisters._ She told him, _A set._

Virgil stared at the spiders, almost all of them looking at him with their bright black eyes and their chattering, sunny voices speaking without the slightest pause.

And, surrounded by dozens of glittering violet bodies with ringing, delighted remarks echoing through his head, Virgil allowed himself to laugh.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm [ tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors ](tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors.tumblr.com) over on tumblr, and i take prompts in this verse and others!


End file.
